Virtual reality system for exercise equipment and method thereof

ABSTRACT

A virtual reality system and method for exercise equipment are provided. The virtual reality system includes a configuration module, a processing module, a movement detection module, an electronic compass, and a display apparatus. The display apparatus displays the geographic information of the start point of the route, the current position of a user, and the visual angle corresponding to the orientation of the head of the user.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to virtual reality technologies, and particularly to a virtual reality system and method for exercise equipment.

2. Description of Related Art

Electronic exercise equipment often includes mechanical structure, auxiliary frames, and an electronic display. When the equipment is used to perform repetitive exercises, monotony can adversely affect usability, and user patience to accomplish long-term goals diminished. Thus, there is room for improvement in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawing(s). The components in the drawing(s) are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawing(s), like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of a virtual reality system for exercise equipment of the present disclosure and exercise equipment incorporating the system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the virtual reality system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3-10 are schematic views of the operation of the virtual reality system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of a preferred embodiment of a virtual reality method for exercise equipment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRFIPTION

As shown in FIG. 1, a virtual reality system as disclosed is used with exercise equipment 1, in this embodiment, a treadmill, although in other embodiments the exercise equipment 1 can be a stationary bicycle, a rowing machine, a stepper, a stair climber, or other.

As shown in FIG. 2, a preferred embodiment of the virtual reality system includes a first signal module 10, a second signal module 12, a movement detection module 13, an electronic compass 15, a display apparatus 16, a storage module 18, a network unit 19, a processing unit 20, and a configuration module 21. The first signal module 10, the movement detection module 13, the storage module 18, the network unit 19, the processing unit 20, and the configuration module 21 are disposed on the exercise equipment 1 (as shown in FIG. 1). The display apparatus 16 is a head mounted display. The second signal module 12 and the electronic compass 15 are disposed on the head mounted display.

The first signal module 10 and the second signal module 12 transmit and receive data from each other. The movement detection module 13 detects movement of a user including speed and duration immediately, transmitting the movement of the user to the processing unit 20. The storage module 18 stores street views in 360° of a plurality of routes. The network unit 19 retrieves the geographic information from the third party through a network. The configuration module 21 allows configuration of the parameters of the exercise equipment such as difficulty level and route.

The processing unit 20 receives the movement information from the movement detection module 13, and retrieves the geographic information stored in the storage module 18 according to the parameters of the exercise equipment such as the difficulty level and the route registered via the configuration module 21. The geographic information is transmitted to the display apparatus 16 through the first signal module 10 and the second signal module 12, and made available for display.

The electronic compass 15 determines the orientation of the head mounted display, thereby determining the movement of the head of the user, for example, turning 45° left or 45° right. The movement of the head of the user detected by the electronic compass 15 is transmitted to the processing unit 20 through the second signal module 12 and the first signal module 10. The processing module 20 retrieves the geographic information of a visual angle corresponding to the orientation of the head mounted display according to movement of the head of the user, and transmits the geographic information to the display apparatus 16 through the first signal module 10 and the second signal module 12, thereby displaying the geographic information through the display apparatus 16, replicating the view of the actual location.

Operation of the virtual reality system is described through the following illustrative example.

As shown in FIG. 3 to FIG. 6, the configuration module 21 includes a touch screen on which route configuration, stored routes, difficulty level, and physical strength record are available. When the route configuration is selected, a route is created through input of start point and finish point (as shown in FIG. 3), and the route can be stored after creation. When the stored route is selected, previously configured routes to be selected are shown in the order of the storage time and the name of the stored route (as shown in FIG. 4). When the difficulty level is selected, the routes of different difficulty levels to be selected are shown, wherein the difficulty level can be differentiated by the length and the inclination of the route (as shown in FIG. 5). When the physical strength record is selected, one or more recent records such as the length of the route, the start point of the route, the finish point of the route, the difficulty level, and the duration to finish are shown (as shown in FIG. 6).

If the route configuration is selected, and street A and street B are selected as the start point and the finish point of the route, respectively, the processing unit 20 retrieves the geographic information of the start point of the route (street A), and the street view of street A can be shown to the user through the display apparatus 16.

As shown in FIG. 7, the movement detection module 13 detects the speed of the user, and transmits the speed to the processing unit 20. The processing module 20 determines the distance to the start point of the route according to the speed of the user, and retrieves geographic information from the storage module 18 correspondingly. Finally, the geographic information is transmitted to the head mounted display 16. In this embodiment, the processing unit 20 determines the distance to the start point of the route by a predetermined interval, and modifies the geographic information transmitted to the head mounted display 16 correspondingly. For optimum visual effects, the interval is preferably as short as possible.

If the user looks right, the change in orientation of the head mounted display 16 is detected by the electronic compass 15, which transmits corresponding information to the first signal module 10 through the second signal module 12. After receiving the information, the processing unit 20 retrieves the geographic information of a visual angle corresponding to the orientation of the head mounted display, and transmits the geographic information to the head mounted display 16. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, another visual angle is shown.

Similarly, as shown in FIG. 9, if the user looks left, another angle is shown.

In addition, the processing unit 20 determines the topography of the location of the user according to the geographic information immediately, thereby adjusting the treadmill. For instance, when the location of the user has an inclination, an angle of the treadmill is increased (as shown in FIG. 10) or a riding resistance of the stationary bicycle is increased to increase the difficulty level, thereby simulating the reality. The angle of the treadmill is adjusted by the processing unit 20 through transmitting a control signal to the actuator of the treadmill.

As described, the virtual reality system is independent from the treadmill, and the usage of the virtual reality system has no effect on the structure and the function of the treadmill. Consequently, the user can use the virtual reality system with any treadmill rather than specifically purchasing a new treadmill. In addition, the virtual reality system can be used with the treadmills in public gymnasiums and the virtual reality system removed after use.

As shown in FIG. 11, a preferred embodiment of a virtual reality method of the present disclosure is as follows. Depending on the embodiment, additional steps may be added, others removed, and the ordering of the steps may be changed.

In step S1, the configuration module 21 sets the parameters of the treadmill. The parameters include a route, a difficulty level, and so on.

In step S2, the processing unit 20 retrieves the geographic information of the start point of the route according to the parameters of the treadmill, so that the start point of the route is shown to a user through the head mounted display 16.

In step S3, the movement detection module 13 detects the speed of the user immediately, and transmits the speed to the processing unit.

In step S4, the processing unit 20 determines the distance to the start point of the route according to the speed of the user, and retrieves geographic information from the storage module 18 correspondingly, thereby transmitting the geographic information to the head mounted display 16. In this embodiment, the processing unit 20 determines the distance to the start point of the route by a predetermined interval, and modifies the geographic information transmitted to the head mounted display 16 correspondingly. For optimum visual effects, the interval is preferably as short as possible.

In step S5, the electronic compass 15 detects the change in orientation of the head mounted display 16 immediately, thereby transmitting corresponding information to the first signal module 10 through the second signal module 12.

In step S6, the processing unit 20 retrieves the geographic information of a visual angle corresponding to the orientation of the head mounted display from the storage module 18 after receiving the information, and transmits the geographic information to the head mounted display 16. Consequently, the angle is shown.

In step S7, the processing unit 20 determines the topography of the location of the user according to the geographic information, thereby adjusting the treadmill. For instance, when the location of the user has an inclination, an angle of the treadmill is increased to increase the difficulty level, thereby simulating the reality.

While the disclosure has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements. 

1. A virtual reality system for exercise equipment, the virtual reality system comprising: a configuration module for configuring the parameters of the exercise equipment, wherein the parameters include at least a route; a processing module for retrieving the geographic information of the start point of the route according to the parameters of the exercise equipment; a movement detection module for detecting the speed of a user, transmitting the speed of the user to the processing module, wherein the processing module determines the distance to the start point of the route according to the speed of the user, retrieving the geographic information of the current position of the user; an electronic compass for detecting the movement of the head of the user, wherein the processing module determines the orientation of the head of the user according to the movement of the head of the user, thereby retrieving the geographic information of the visual angle corresponding to the orientation; and a display apparatus for displaying geographic information including the start point of the route, the current position of the user, and the visual angle corresponding to the orientation.
 2. The virtual reality system of claim 1, wherein the processing module determines the topography of the current position of the user according to the geographic information, thereby setting the parameters of the exercise equipment.
 3. The virtual reality system of claim 2, wherein the exercise equipment is a treadmill, the parameters include an inclination of the treadmill.
 4. The virtual reality system of claim 2, wherein the exercise equipment is a stationary bicycle, the parameters include a riding resistance of the stationary bicycle.
 5. The virtual reality system of claim 1, further comprising a storage module for storing the street view of the route.
 6. The virtual reality system of claim 1, wherein the display apparatus includes a head mounted display for communicating with the processing module through a signal module.
 7. A virtual reality method for exercise equipment comprising the following steps: setting the parameters of the exercise equipment, wherein the parameters include at least a route; retrieving the geographic information of the start point of the route according to the parameters of the exercise equipment; displaying the geographic information of the start point of the route through a display apparatus; detecting the speed of a user through a movement detection module; determining the distance to the start point of the route according to the speed of the user, retrieving the geographic information of the current position of the user; displaying the geographic information of the current position of the user through the display apparatus; detecting the movement of the head of the user through an electronic compass; determining the orientation of the head of the user according to the movement of the head of the user, thereby retrieving the geographic information of the visual angle corresponding to the orientation; and displaying the geographic information of the visual angle corresponding to the orientation through the display apparatus.
 8. The virtual reality method of claim 7, further comprising determining the topography of the current position of the user according to the geographic information, thereby setting the parameters of the exercise equipment.
 9. The virtual reality method of claim 8, wherein the exercise equipment is a treadmill, the parameters of the exercise equipment include an inclination of the treadmill.
 10. The virtual reality method of claim 8, wherein the exercise equipment is a stationary bicycle, the parameters of the exercise equipment include a riding resistance of the stationary bicycle. 